Crop harvesting headers ideally are capable of gathering, severing, and consolidating crop material in a smooth, uniform flow despite variations in crop densities and crop types being harvested. As a practical matter, the flow rate through a header cannot be maintained evenly, particularly where crop densities vary within the field being harvested. Unusually heavy stands of crop can create slugs of crop material which can jam or plug the crop consolidating auger of the header.
While there have been prior attempts to cope with the problem, a wholly satisfactory solution has not been forthcoming. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,324,639 and 2,518,521 show header augers which are described as being floatably mounted in the header so that slugs of impacted crop material can force the auger to move upwardly. While such an arrangement could be an aid in reducing plugging of the crop consolidating auger, the auger apparently floats only when the underlying crop material has reached a volume or density sufficient to overcome the weight of the auger. Plugging may still result even though the auger has been forced upwardly. If the crop has wedged under the auger, the operator faces the problem of manually digging the compacted crop out from under the auger, which, when plugged, is being supported on the very material to be removed.
An additional means sometimes used to unplug the auger is to manually apply torque either to the end of the auger shaft or to some mechanically advantaged point connected thereto. The auger itself, therefore, adds complexity to the problem of unplugging the header.
There thus exists a need for a simplified and efficient means for freeing the auger of plugged material.